Carbonated beverage, syrup used for preparing carbonated beverage, method for manufacturing carbonated beverage, and method for suppressing foaming in carbonated beverage

ABSTRACT

An embodiment of the present invention provides a carbonated beverage comprising a  stevia  extract in which foaming is suppressed and a method for producing the same. A carbonated beverage comprising RebA and RebD and/or RebM, wherein a content of RebA is 500 ppm or less; a content of RebD and/or RebM is 486 ppm or less; ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.45 or more in a mass ratio; and a total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 0.5 to 13.5 in Brix in terms of sucrose.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of the pending U.S.application Ser. No. 15/515,319 filed on Mar. 29, 2017, which is U.S.National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2015/077831 filedSep. 30, 2015, which claims the benefit of priority of the JapanesePatent Application No. 2014-202600 filed on Sep. 30, 2014, the contentsof which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

This embodiment relates to a carbonated beverage, a syrup used for thepreparation of a carbonated beverage, a method for producing acarbonated beverage, and a method for suppressing the foaming of acarbonated beverage.

BACKGROUND ART

Carbonated beverages are preferably drunk by a wide range of consumers.Currently commercially available carbonated beverages are various andhave properties such as visually pleasing a drinker by foaming whenopening a container or when pouring the carbonated beverage into acontainer such as a glass, and giving to a drinker a refreshing feelingin the throat. Such properties of the carbonated beverages are mainlydue to carbon dioxide gas contained in the carbonated beverages, but thefoaming may be a problem.

In order to suppress foaming during the production of a carbonatedbeverage and during opening a container thereof, Patent Literature 1discloses using a particular antifoaming agent such as a silicone oil, aglycerin fatty acid ester, or a sorbitan fatty acid ester. PatentLiterature 2 discloses, regarding a cup type beverage vending machine,blending sucralose or acesulfame potassium in a syrup in order tosuppress excessive foaming caused by the mixing of the syrup andcarbonated water. On the other hand, in Patent Literatures 3 and 4,blending a non-polymerized catechin and a stevia extract in a carbonatedbeverage at a particular ratio is disclosed, but this is directed to theimprovement of carbon dioxide gas retention properties and is notdirected to the suppression of foaming.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-087359

Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-228633

Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-179015

Patent Literature 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-213341

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

In response to an increase in nature orientation in recent years, theinventors of this application have conducted a study on the use ofnatural sweeteners in beverages. In the course of the study, when acontainer is opened, a carbonated beverage comprising this naturalsweetener foams and bubbles over the container in some cases.Alternatively, also when the carbonated beverage is poured into anothercontainer such as a glass after opening, foaming occurs and thecarbonated beverage bubbles over in some cases. As natural sweeteners,Stevioside, Rebaudioside (hereinafter referred to as “Reb”), and thelike as the sweet components of stevia extracts are known, and thedetails will be described later.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-describedproblem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide acarbonated beverage in which foaming is suppressed, a syrup used for thepreparation of a carbonated beverage, a method for producing acarbonated beverage, and a method for suppressing the foaming of acarbonated beverage.

Solution to Problem

According to this embodiment, in a carbonated beverage, a content ofRebA is 500 ppm or less, a content of RebD and/or RebM is 486 ppm orless, ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.45 or more in a mass ratio, and atotal content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 0.5 to 13.5 in Brix interms of sucrose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the influence of the content of RebA, RebD, and RebM onfoaming.

FIG. 2 shows the influence of RebA, RebD, and RebM on foaming.

FIG. 3 shows in (A) and (B) the influence of the combination of Reb andcaffeine on foaming.

FIG. 4 shows in (A) and (B) the influence of the ratio between RebM orRebD and RebA on foaming.

FIG. 5 shows the influence of the combination of RebD and RebM onfoaming.

FIG. 6 shows the influence of the gas pressure of a carbonated beverageon foaming.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A carbonated beverage according to an embodiment of the presentinvention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the carbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present invention,the content of RebA is 500 ppm or less, the content of RebD and/or RebMis 486 ppm or less, ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.45 or more in a massratio, and the total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 0.5 to 13.5in Brix in terms of sucrose.

Reb is known as a sweet component contained in a stevia extract. Thestevia extract is obtained by extraction from stevia dry leaves andpurification. A stevia is a composite perennial plant native to Paraguayin South America, and its scientific name is Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni.The stevia comprises a component having about 300 times or more thesweetness of sugar and therefore is grown in order to extract this sweetcomponent and use it as a natural sweetener. As Reb, RebA, RebB, RebC,RebD, and RebE are known. Further, recently, it has been reportedpresence of various glycosides such as RebM, which is described inJapanese Patent Domestic Announcement No. 2012-504552. Among variousReb, RebA is evaluated as a sweetener having a high degree of sweetnessand good sweetness and widely used. In the embodiment of the presentinvention, as the stevia extract, RebA, RebD, and RebM are paidattention to. RebA, RebD, and RebM are available on the market and canalso be synthesized by way of organic chemistry. Alternatively, using astevia extract as a starting raw material, RebA, RebD, and RebM can alsobe separated and purified. For example, RebA, RebD, and RebM can bepurified according to methods described in Japanese Patent DomesticAnnouncement No. 2009-517043, U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,949, and Foods 2014,3(1), 162-175; doi: 10.3390/foods3010162, respectively. RebA, RebD, andRebM may be analyzed by any method and can be analyzed, for example, bya high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) set under conditionsdescribed in Japanese Patent Domestic Announcement No. 2012-504552.RebA, RebD, and RebM are analyzed herein by the method unless otherwisedescribed.

A carbonated beverage refers to a beverage comprising carbon dioxidegas. Examples of the carbonated beverage include refreshing beverages,nonalcoholic beverages, and alcoholic beverages. Specific examplesinclude, but are not limited to, sparkling beverages, cola, diet cola,ginger ale, soda pop, and carbonated water provided with a fruit juiceflavor. The inventors of this application have found for the first timethat regarding a carbonated beverage comprising a stevia extract, RebAis involved in foaming that can be a problem during opening, in a casewhere the carbonated beverage is poured into a container, and the like.In the embodiment of the present invention, foaming is suppressed bydecreasing the content of RebA as a stevia extract in a carbonatedbeverage. The content of RebA can be, for example, 500 ppm or less,preferably 450 ppm or less, more preferably 383 ppm or less, and furtherpreferably 250 ppm or less in the carbonated beverage but is not limitedto these. Alternatively, RebA may be contained in the carbonatedbeverage to the extent that even slight sweetness is felt, and, forexample, 0.5 ppm or more, preferably 1 ppm or more, and more preferably16.7 ppm or more of RebA may be contained in the carbonated beverage.

When the content of RebA as a stevia extract in a carbonated beverage issimply decreased as described above, sweetness derived from the steviaextract cannot be sufficiently given to the carbonated beverage. Theinventors of this application have found for the first time that RebDand RebM are less likely to foam than RebA. In other words, in theembodiment of the present invention, by replacing RebA as a steviaextract with RebD and/or RebM in a carbonated beverage, sweetnessderived from a stevia extract can be sufficiently given while theproblem of the foaming of the carbonated beverage is addressed. In thecarbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present invention, thecontent of RebD and/or RebM can be an amount required as an alternativeto RebA. The carbonated beverage can contain RebD and RebM singly or incombination. When the carbonated beverage comprises RebD alone, thecontent of RebD is not limited and can be, for example, 486 ppm or less.When the carbonated beverage comprises RebM alone, the content of RebMis not limited and can be, for example, 450 ppm or less, preferably 404ppm or less, and more preferably 271 ppm or less. When the carbonatedbeverage comprises RebD and RebM, the total amount of RebD and RebM canbe, for example, 486 ppm or less.

The total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM as a stevia extract in thecarbonated beverage can be set in a required range, can be set in arange that does not cause a problem in terms of flavor, or can also beset in a range required for a low calorie carbonated beverage. Forexample, although not limited, the total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebMin the carbonated beverage can be equivalent to Brix 0.5 to 13.5,preferably 0.5 to 12, more preferably 0.5 to 11.5, and furtherpreferably 0.5 to 7.5 in terms of sucrose. When the total amount is lessthan Brix 0.5 in terms of sucrose, sweetness derived from the steviaextract cannot be sufficiently provided, and the bubble suppressioneffect by the replacement of RebA with RebD and/or RebM may not besufficiently exerted. On the other hand, in a case where the totalamount is more than Brix 13.5 in terms of sucrose, regarding thecarbonated beverage, the bubble suppression effect by the replacement ofRebA with RebD and/or RebM is not obtained, and moreover the flavor maybecome worse due to too strong sweetness.

Here, Brix in terms of sucrose can be calculated from the degree ofsweetness of Reb based on sucrose and the content of Reb. RebA has 300times the sweetness of sucrose, RebD has 285 times the sweetness ofsucrose, and RebM has 285 times the sweetness of sucrose. Therefore, theamount of Reb equivalent to Brix 1 in terms of sucrose can be calculatedas 33.3 ppm for RebA and 35.1 ppm for RebD (also RebM).

The relationship between the content of RebA, RebD, and RebM and thefoaming suppression effect can be confirmed as follows. In order toadjust the degrees of sweetness of test solutions to be equivalent toBrix 0.5, 1.0, 1.59, 7.5, and 13.5 in terms of sucrose, the content ofReb was adjusted as follows. 16.7 ppm, 33.3 ppm, 53 ppm, 250 ppm, and450 ppm of RebA was dissolved in 15.8 mL of pure water. 17.6 ppm, 35.1ppm, 55.7 ppm, 271.2 ppm, and 486 ppm of each of RebD and RebM wasdissolved in 15.8 mL of pure water. Each solution was cooled to 4° C.,and the amount of liquid was adjusted to 100 mL with carbonated water.The container was sealed and left in a refrigerator at 4° C. for 1 hour.The container was opened, and an inverted 500 mL graduated cylinder wasplaced over the spout of the container in which the test solution wascontained, and fixed. The graduated cylinder and the container werereversed to pour the test solution into the graduated cylinder. Thescale mark at the bubble rising surface was read and taken as the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level. The volume corresponding to bubbleliquid level is shown in FIG. 1 as a relative value in which the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level regarding the test solutioncomprising RebA at Brix 1.59 (53 ppm) in terms of sucrose is 1. In thecase of blending at Brix 0.5 in terms of sucrose, no substantialdifference was seen in the volume corresponding to bubble liquid levelamong RebA, RebD, and RebM. In the case of blending at Brix 1.0 or morein terms of sucrose, for RebD and RebM, the volume corresponding tobubble liquid level was decreased compared with that for RebA. For RebD,also at Brix 13.5 in terms of sucrose, the bubble liquid level wasdecreased compared with that for RebA. For RebM, when the amount blendedwas Brix 11.5 or less in terms of sucrose, the bubble liquid level wasdecreased compared with that for RebA.

From this, it was shown that the foaming suppression effect of RebD waseffective in the alternative to RebA at Brix 0.5 to 13.5 or 1.0 to 13.5in terms of sucrose. It was shown that the foaming suppression effect ofRebM was effective in the alternative to RebA at Brix 0.5 to 11.5 or 1.0to 11.5 in terms of sucrose. It is also suggested that the total contentof RebA and RebD and/or RebM being 0.5 to 13.5 in Brix in terms ofsucrose is effective in the suppression of foaming.

The carbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present invention canfurther comprise components generally used in carbonated beverages, suchas caffeine, cinnamaldehyde, caramel coloring, and sweeteners (sugar,isomerized liquid sugars, and high intensity sweeteners such asaspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K), perfumes, acidulants (citricacid, tartaric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and lactic acid),colorants, fruit juices, and fruit juice purees, milk and milk products,and nutrient supplements (vitamins, calcium, minerals, and amino acids).The carbonated beverage may comprise a single or a combination of aplurality of these components. For example, the carbonated beverage cancomprise caffeine, cinnamaldehyde, caramel coloring, or a combination oftwo or more of these together with the stevia extract. As one mode, thecarbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present invention cancomprise caffeine. Here, the caffeine may be in the form of an extractof a plant comprising caffeine (tea leaves, kola nuts, coffee beans,guarana, or the like) or its concentrate in addition to a purifiedproduct that can be used as a food additive (a purified product having acaffeine content of 98.5% or more) and a roughly purified product thatcan be used as a food (caffeine content of 50 to 98.5%). In theembodiment of the present invention, the content of caffeine in thecarbonated beverage can be 1 to 200 ppm. The quantification of caffeinemay be performed using any method and can be performed, for example, byfiltering the carbonated beverage by a membrane filter (celluloseacetate membrane 0.45 μm manufactured by ADVANTEC) and subjecting thesample to HPLC set under the following conditions. The caffeine contentis quantified herein by the method unless otherwise mentioned.

(Conditions of HPLC for Caffeine Quantification)

Column TSK-gel ODS-80TsQA (4.6 mmφ×150 mm, Tosoh Corporation)

Mobile phase A water:trifluoroacetic acid=1000:0.5

Mobile phase B acetonitrile:trifluoroacetic acid=1000:0.5

Flow rate 1.0 ml/min

Column temperature 40° C.

Gradient conditions

-   -   A:B=95:5 is maintained from the start of analysis to 5 minutes        after    -   A:B=5:95 from 5 minutes to 20 minutes    -   A:B=5:95 is maintained from 20 minutes to 25 minutes    -   A:B=95:5 from 25 minutes to 26 minutes    -   A:B=95:5 is maintained from 26 minutes to 30 minutes

Injection volume 5.0 μL

Detection wavelength 280 nm

Standard substance anhydrous caffeine (NACALAI TESQUE, INC.).

As another mode, the carbonated beverage in the embodiment of thepresent invention can comprise cinnamaldehyde. Here, cinnamaldehyde(C₆H₅CH═CH—CHO, molecular weight 132.16) is one of aromatic aldehydesknown as a cinnamon aroma component and is available as a perfumepreparation. In the embodiment of the present invention, the carbonatedbeverage can comprise cinnamaldehyde in an amount of a particular range.For example, the content of cinnamaldehyde in the carbonated beverage inthe embodiment of the present invention can be 0.5 to 50 ppm, preferably0.5 to 32 ppm, and 1.0 to 20 ppm. For the quantification ofcinnamaldehyde, for example, cinnamaldehyde can be quantified by amethod using gas chromatography, a mass spectrometer, or the like. Thecontent of cinnamaldehyde is quantified herein by the method unlessotherwise described.

As still another mode, the carbonated beverage in the embodiment of thepresent invention can comprise caramel coloring. Here, as the caramelcoloring, known edible caramel coloring can be used. For example, asubstance obtained by heat-treating an edible carbohydrate typified bysugar or glucose, one obtained by adding an acid or an alkali to anedible carbohydrate and heat-treating the mixture, and the like can beused as the caramel coloring. In addition, a sugar contained in a fruitjuice or a vegetable juice can also be caramelized and used, and in thiscase, the sugar can be caramelized by heat treatment, treatment with anacid or an alkali, or the like. In the embodiment of the presentinvention, the carbonated beverage can comprise caramel coloring at acontent of a particular range.

The foaming suppression effect of RebD and RebM in combination withcaffeine or cinnamaldehyde can be confirmed as follows. For RebA, RebD,and RebM, commercial products were generally used. To adjust sweetnessof test solutions to Brix 1.59 in terms of sucrose, 53 ppm of RebA, 55.7ppm of RebD, and 55.7 ppm of RebM were each dissolved alone in 15.8 mLof pure water. In addition, each of 53 ppm of RebA, 55.7 ppm of RebD,and 55.7 ppm of RebM, in combination with 10 ppm of caffeine or 50μl/100 ml of cinnamaldehyde, was dissolved in 15.8 mL of pure water.Each solution was cooled to 4° C. and volume of the solution wasadjusted to 100 mL with carbonated water. The container was sealed andleft in a refrigerator at 4° C. for 1 hour. The container was opened,and an inverted 500 mL graduated cylinder was placed over the spout ofthe container in which the test solution was contained, and fixed. Thegraduated cylinder and the container were reversed to pour the testsolution into the graduated cylinder. The scale mark at the bubblerising surface was read and taken as the volume corresponding to bubbleliquid level. The volume corresponding to bubble liquid level is shownin FIG. 2 as a relative value in which the volume corresponding tobubble liquid level regarding the test solution comprising RebA alone is1.

For the test solution comprising RebM alone, the volume corresponding tobubble liquid level was about 0.8 compared with that for the testsolution comprising RebA alone. Also for RebD, a similar result wasobtained. In combination with caffeine, for the test solution comprisingRebD or RebM, the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level wasgreatly decreased compared with that for the test solution comprisingRebA. Also when RebA, RebD, and RebM were combined with cinnamaldehyde,a similar result was obtained. From the above results, it was shown thatRebD and RebM exerted the foaming suppression effect even in combinationwith other materials such as caffeine and cinnamaldehyde, which arewidely blended in carbonated beverages.

Further, the foaming suppression effect of RebD and RebM in combinationwith caffeine can be confirmed as follows. In order to adjust sweetnessof test solutions to Brix 1.59 in terms of sucrose, the content was setat 53 ppm of RebA, 55.7 ppm of RebD, and 55.7 ppm of RebM. RebA, RebD,and RebM were each dissolved in 15.8 mL of pure water together withcaffeine. Here, the caffeine content was changed to 1 ppm, 5 ppm, 10ppm, 100 ppm, and 200 ppm. Each solution was cooled to 4° C. and volumeof the solution was adjusted to 100 mL with carbonated water. Thecontainer was sealed and left in a refrigerator at 4° C. for 1 hour. Thecontainer was opened, and an inverted 500 mL graduated cylinder wasplaced over the spout of the container in which the test solution wascontained, and fixed. The graduated cylinder and the container werereversed to pour the test solution into the graduated cylinder. Thescale mark at the bubble rising surface was read and taken as the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level. The volume corresponding to bubbleliquid level is shown in FIG. 3(A) as a relative value in which thevolume corresponding to bubble liquid level of the test solutioncomprising 53 ppm of RebA and 1 ppm of caffeine is 1. In combinationwith any amount of caffeine, for the test solution comprising RebM, thevolume corresponding to bubble liquid level was decreased compared withthat for the test solution comprising RebA. Also for RebD, a similarresult was obtained (FIG. 3(B)).

From these results, it was shown that RebM and RebD effectivelysuppressed the foaming of the carbonated beverage compared with RebAeven when combined with caffeine. It was also suggested that thisfoaming suppression effect was exerted regardless of the content ofcaffeine. Caffeine is a component generally blended in carbonatedbeverages. Thus, it is suggested that the effect achieved by RebM and/orRebD can be widely applied to carbonated beverages.

The carbonated beverage may comprise RebD and/or RebM and RebA at aparticular ratio. For example, ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) can be 0.45 ormore, preferably 1.1 or more, more preferably 2.5 or more, and furtherpreferably 6.0 or more in a mass ratio. When the ratio is less than0.45, the influence of RebA becomes strong, and the foaming of thecarbonated beverage cannot be suppressed.

The influence of the content ratio of RebM and/or RebD to RebA onfoaming can be confirmed as follows. The degrees of sweetness of testsolutions were adjusted to be equivalent to Brix 1.59 in terms ofsucrose. RebA and RebM were combined at ratios of 100:0, 70:30, 30:70,15:85, 5:95, and 0:100 in Brix in terms of sucrose and dissolved in 15.8mL of pure water. Each solution was cooled to 4° C. and volume of thesolution was adjusted to 100 mL with carbonated water. The container wassealed and left in a refrigerator at 4° C. for 1 hour. Also forcombinations of RebA and RebD, a similar operation was performed. Thecontainer was opened, and an inverted 500 mL graduated cylinder wasplaced over the spout of the container in which the test solution wascontained, and fixed. The graduated cylinder and the container werereversed to pour the test solution into the graduated cylinder. Thescale mark at the bubble rising surface was read and taken as the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level. The volume corresponding to bubbleliquid level is shown in FIG. 4 as a relative value in which the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level regarding the test solutioncomprising RebA alone is 1. In FIG. 4(A), A100 representsRebA:RebM=100:0, A70 represents RebA:RebM=70:30, A30 representsRebA:RebM=30:70, A15 represents RebA:RebM=15:85, A5 representsRebA:RebM=5:95, and A0 represents RebA:RebM=0:100 (The ratios are all inBrix in terms of sucrose). For FIG. 4(B), RebM is replaced by RebD inthe description of the above FIG. 4(A).

It was shown that as the proportion of RebM increased, the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level decreased (FIG. 4(A)). Thistendency was clear when the proportion of RebM in Brix in terms ofsucrose was 30% or more, and was clearer particularly when theproportion of RebM in Brix in terms of sucrose was 70% or more. Also forRebD, a similar tendency was shown (FIG. 4(B)). From these results, itwas shown that by replacing RebA with RebM and/or RebD, foaming wassuppressed without substantially changing the sweetness of thecarbonated beverage. It was shown that when ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA)was about 0.45 or more in a mass ratio, foaming was suppressed.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when RebD and RebM arecontained in combination in the carbonated beverage, RebD and RebM maybe combined at any ratio. The influence of the combination of RebD andRebM on foaming can be confirmed as follows. In order to adjustsweetness of test solutions to Brix 1.59 in terms of sucrose, thecontent of Reb was adjusted. RebD and RebM were combined at ratios of0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0 in Brix in terms of sucrose anddissolved in 15.8 mL of pure water. Each solution was cooled to 4° C.and volume of the solution was adjusted to 100 mL with carbonated water.The container was sealed and left in a refrigerator at 4° C. for 1 hour.A test solution comprising RebA alone was also prepared in the similarmanner. The container was opened, and an inverted 500 mL graduatedcylinder was placed over the spout of the container in which the testsolution was contained, and fixed. The graduated cylinder and thecontainer were reversed to pour the test solution into the graduatedcylinder. The scale mark at the bubble rising surface was read and takenas the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level. The volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level is shown in FIG. 5 as a relativevalue in which the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level regardingthe test solution comprising RebA alone is 1. In the figure, “100” onthe horizontal axis represents the test solution comprising RebA, RebD,or RebM alone. “75”, “50”, and “25” on the horizontal axis represent thetest solutions comprising RebM and RebD at ratios of 75:25, 50:50, and25:75 in Brix in terms of sucrose respectively.

For the test solution comprising RebD or RebM alone, the volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level was significantly decreasedcompared with the case where RebA was contained alone. It was alsoconfirmed that for the test solutions comprising the combinations ofRebD and RebM, the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level wasdecreased compared with that for the test solution comprising RebAalone. From these results, it was shown that even when RebA was replacedwith RebD and RebM in combination, foaming could be suppressed withoutsubstantially changing the degree of sweetness of the carbonatedbeverage.

The carbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present invention mayfurther comprise sweeteners generally used in beverages, such assucrose, glucose, fructose, isomerized liquid sugars, and high intensitysweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K. Thecarbonated beverage may comprise a single or plurality of thesesweeteners. As one mode, the carbonated beverage in the embodiment ofthe present invention can further comprise sucrose. Here, the content ofsucrose in the carbonated beverage is not limited and can be 6 to 12g/100 g. The quantification of saccharides such as sucrose can also beperformed, for example, by a usual method such as high performanceliquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC can be performed, for example, underthe following conditions.

Equipment used: HP1100 system manufactured by HP

Column used: LiChrospher 100 NH2 (5 μm) (4 mm×250 mm)

Mobile phase: acetonitrile:water=75:25

Flow rate: 1.0 mL/min

Column temperature: 40° C.

Injection volume: 10 μL

Detector: Sugar content differential refractometer (Shodex RI-71)

Saccharides such as sucrose are quantified herein by the method unlessotherwise described.

The carbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present inventioncomprises carbon dioxide gas. The content of carbon dioxide gas in thecarbonated beverage can be defined by gas pressure. For the carbondioxide gas in the carbonated beverage, the gas pressure can be, forexample, 1.7 kgf/cm² or more, 1.89 kgf/cm² or more, or 2.15 kgf/cm² ormore. The upper limit of the gas pressure may be, for example, 5.0kgf/cm² or less or 4.0 kgf/cm² or less, as required. The gas pressureregarding the carbonated beverage refers to the gas pressure of carbondioxide gas in the carbonated beverage in a container unless otherwisedescribed. Therefore, the carbonated beverage can be filled into acontainer. For the container, a container of any form and material canbe used, and, for example, the container may be a container such as abottle, a can, a barrel, or a PET bottle. The measurement of gaspressure can be performed, for example, by fixing a beverage set at 20°C. in a gas internal pressure meter, opening the gas internal pressuremeter cock once to remove gas, closing the cock again, swinging the gasinternal pressure meter, and reading the value when the pointer reachesa certain position. The gas pressure of the carbonated beverage ismeasured herein using the method unless otherwise described.

The influence of the carbon dioxide gas content of the carbonatedbeverage on foaming can be confirmed as follows. To prepare each testsolution, RebA, RebD, and RebM equivalent to Brix 10 in terms of sucrosewere each added to pure water and dissolved, and then carbonated waterwas added to adjust a gas pressure to a defined value. An inverted 500mL graduated cylinder was placed over the spout of the container inwhich the test solution was contained, and fixed. The graduated cylinderand the container were reversed to pour the test solution into thegraduated cylinder. The scale mark at the bubble rising surface was readand taken as the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level. The volumecorresponding to bubble liquid level is shown in FIG. 6 as a relativevalue in which the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level regardingthe test solution comprising RebA equivalent to Brix 10 in terms ofsucrose is 1. In the figure, “GAS VOL” represents gas pressure. Comparedwith the test solution comprising RebA, for the test solution comprisingRebM, foaming tended to be suppressed at a gas pressure of 1.9 kgf/cm²or more, and further, foaming tended to be more strongly suppressed at agas pressure of 2.15 kgf/cm² or more. For the test solution comprisingRebD, foaming tended to be suppressed at a gas pressure of 1.7 kgf/cm²or more, and further, foaming tended to be suppressed from a gaspressure of 1.89 kgf/cm² or more.

The carbonated beverage in the embodiment of the present invention mayfurther comprise components approved as food additives, or componentseaten from old times and generally recognized as safe though notapproved, such as fruit juices, acidulants, perfumes, extracts ofplants, milk products, and other flavors.

<Method for Producing Carbonated Beverage>

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method forproducing a carbonated beverage is provided. The production methodcomprises preparing a syrup, adjusting the amount of liquid required,and supplying carbon dioxide gas. The syrup herein refers to a solutioncomprising at least one component described above contained in acarbonated beverage, and comprising substantially no carbon dioxide gas.

The syrup can be prepared by dissolving raw materials such as RebA,RebD, and RebM in water. The RebA content in the syrup can be set sothat the content of RebA in the carbonated beverage is 500 ppm or less,preferably 450 ppm or less, more preferably 383 ppm or less, and furtherpreferably 250 ppm or less, and can also be set so that substantially noRebA is contained in the carbonated beverage, but is not limited tothese. RebA may be contained in the carbonated beverage to the extentthat even slight sweetness is felt, and the content of RebA in the syrupmay be set so that, for example, 0.5 ppm or more, preferably 1 ppm ormore, and more preferably 16.7 ppm or more of RebA is contained in thecarbonated beverage.

The content of RebD and/or RebM in the syrup can be an amount requiredas an alternative to RebA. RebD or RebM can be contained alone in thesyrup, or RebD and RebM can be contained in combination in the syrup.When RebD is contained alone in the syrup, the content of RebD is notlimited and can be set so that, for example, the content of RebD in thecarbonated beverage is 486 ppm or less. When RebM is contained alone inthe syrup, the content of RebM is not limited and can be set so that,for example, the content of RebM in the carbonated beverage is 450 ppmor less, preferably 404 ppm or less, and more preferably 271 ppm orless. When RebD and RebM are contained in combination in the syrup, thetotal amount of RebD and RebM can be set so that, for example, thecontent of RebD and RebM in the carbonated beverage is 486 ppm or less.By replacing RebA as a stevia extract with ReD and/or RebM in a syrup,sweetness derived from a stevia extract can be sufficiently given to acarbonated beverage while the problem of the foaming of the carbonatedbeverage is addressed. When RebD and RebM are contained in combinationin the syrup, RebD and RebM may be combined at any ratio.

RebD and/or RebM and RebA may be contained in the syrup at a particularratio. For example, ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) can be 0.45 or more,preferably 1.1 or more, more preferably 2.5 or more, and furtherpreferably 6.0 or more in a mass ratio. When the ratio is less than0.45, the influence of RebA is strong, and the foaming of the carbonatedbeverage sometimes cannot be suppressed.

The total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM as a stevia extract in thesyrup can be set in a required range and, for example, can be set in arange that is not problematic in terms of flavor, and can also be set ina range required for a low calorie carbonated beverage. For example,although not limited, the total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM in thesyrup can be set so that the total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM in thecarbonated beverage is equivalent to Brix 0.5 to 13.5, preferably 0.5 to12, more preferably 0.5 to 11.5, and further preferably 0.5 to 7.5 interms of sucrose. When the total amount is less than Brix 0.5 in termsof sucrose, not only can sweetness derived from the stevia extract notbe sufficiently provided, but the bubble suppression effect of thereplacement of RebA with RebD and/or RebM may not be sufficientlyexerted. On the other hand, in a case where the total amount is morethan Brix 13.5 in terms of sucrose, regarding the carbonated beverage,the bubble suppression effect of the replacement of RebA with RebDand/or RebM is not obtained, and moreover the flavor may become worsedue to too strong sweetness.

Components generally used in carbonated beverages, such as caffeine,cinnamaldehyde, caramel coloring, and sweeteners (sugar, isomerizedliquid sugars, and high intensity sweeteners such as aspartame,sucralose, and acesulfame K), perfumes, acidulants (citric acid,tartaric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and lactic acid), colorants,fruit juices and fruit juice purees, milk and milk products, andnutrient supplements (vitamins, calcium, minerals, and amino acids), maybe further contained in the syrup. A single of these components may becontained in the syrup, or a plurality of these components may becontained in combination in the syrup. For example, caffeine,cinnamaldehyde, caramel coloring, or a combination of two or more ofthese can be contained in the syrup together with the stevia extract. Asone mode, caffeine can be contained in the syrup in the embodiment ofthe present invention. Here, the caffeine may be in the form of anextract of a plant comprising caffeine (tea leaves, kola nuts, coffeebeans, guarana, or the like) or its concentrate in addition to apurified product that can be used as a food additive (a purified producthaving a caffeine content of 98.5% or more) and a roughly purifiedproduct that can be used as a food (caffeine content 50 to 98.5%). Inthe embodiment of the present invention, caffeine can be contained inthe syrup so that the content in the carbonated beverage is in aparticular range. For example, the content of caffeine in the syrup isnot limited and can be set so that the caffeine content of thecarbonated beverage is 1 to 200 ppm.

As another mode, cinnamaldehyde can be contained in the syrup in theembodiment of the present invention. Cinnamaldehyde can be contained inthe syrup so that the content in the carbonated beverage is in aparticular range. For example, the content of cinnamaldehyde in thesyrup can be set so that cinnamaldehyde in the carbonated beverage is0.5 to 50 ppm, preferably 0.5 to 32 ppm or 1.0 to 20 ppm.

As still another mode, caramel coloring can be contained in the syrup inthe embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of thepresent invention, caramel coloring can be contained in the syrup sothat the content in the carbonated beverage is in a particular range.

Sweeteners generally used for the production of beverages, such assucrose, glucose, fructose, isomerized liquid sugars, and high intensitysweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K, may befurther contained in the syrup in the embodiment of the presentinvention. These sweeteners may be contained in the syrup singly or incombination of a plurality of these sweeteners. As one mode, sucrose canbe further contained in the syrup in the embodiment of the presentinvention. Here, the content of sucrose in the syrup can be designed sothat sucrose is contained in the carbonated beverage in a particularrange. For example, the content of sucrose in the syrup is not limitedand can be set so that the content of sucrose in the carbonated beverageis 6 to 12 g/100 g.

In addition, components approved as food additives, or components eatenfrom old times and generally recognized as safe though not approved,such as fruit juices, acidulants, perfumes, extracts of plants, milkproducts, and other flavors, may be further contained in the syrup.

In the preparation of a carbonated beverage, the supply of carbondioxide gas can be performed by mixing a syrup and carbonated water. Themixing may be performed by adding carbonated water to a containercomprising the syrup, may be performed by adding the syrup to acontainer comprising carbonated water, or may be performed while thesyrup and carbonated water are transferred to another container. Inaddition, a syrup and a carbonated beverage may be prepared in the samefactory, or a carbonated beverage may be prepared by filling a syrupinto a container or the like, transporting it to another factory, andmixing the syrup with carbonated water. Further, it is possible that asyrup is transported to a restaurant or the like, and in the restaurant,a user mixes the syrup and carbonated water to prepare a carbonatedbeverage. Alternatively, the supply of carbon dioxide gas can also beperformed by diluting a syrup with water and then injecting carbondioxide gas thereto. The amount of carbon dioxide gas supplied to thecarbonated beverage can be defined as gas pressure. Carbon dioxide gascan be supplied to the syrup so that the gas pressure in the carbonatedbeverage is, for example, 1.7 kgf/cm² or more, 1.89 kgf/cm² or more, or2.15 kgf/cm² or more. An upper limit may be provided to the amount ofcarbon dioxide gas supplied, as required. Carbon dioxide gas can besupplied to the syrup so that, for example, the gas pressure in thecarbonated beverage is 5.0 kgf/cm² or less or 4.0 kgf/cm² or less.Therefore, the carbonated beverage can be filled into a container. Forthe container, a container of any form and material can be used, and,for example, the container may be a container such as a bottle, a can, abarrel, or a PET bottle. In addition, the method for filling thecarbonated beverage into a container is also not particularly limited.

What is claimed is:
 1. A carbonated beverage comprising RebA, RebD, andRebM in which foaming is suppressed, wherein a mass ratio of ((RebDand/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.45 or more, RebD and/or RebM are present in anamount of 486 ppm or less; and RebA, RebD, and RebM are present in anamount to provide 0.5-13.5° Bx.
 2. The carbonated beverage according toclaim 1, comprising 500 ppm or less of RebA.
 3. The carbonated beverageaccording to claim 1, comprising caffeine, cinnamaldehyde, or caramelcoloring.
 4. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1, comprisingsucrose.
 5. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1, comprisingcarbon dioxide gas at a gas pressure of 1.89 kgf/cm² or more.
 6. Thecarbonated beverage according to claim 1, comprising carbon dioxide gasat a gas pressure of 1.89 kgf/cm² or more.
 7. A syrup for preparation ofa carbonated beverage comprising RebA, RebD, and RebM, the syrupcomprising: a mass ratio of ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) of 0.45 or more tosuppress foaming of the carbonated beverage due to Reb A, RebA, RebD,and RebM in an amount to provide 0.5-13.5° Bx to the prepared carbonatedbeverage; and RebD and/or RebM in an amount to provide 486 ppm or lessthereof to the prepared carbonated beverage.
 8. A method for producing acarbonated beverage, comprising diluting the syrup according to claim 7with water and then injecting carbon dioxide gas thereto.
 9. A methodfor producing a carbonated beverage comprising RebA in which foaming issuppressed, comprising combining RebA, RebD, and RebM in a mass ratio of((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) of 0.45 and in an amount to provide 0.5-13.5°Bx; and carbon dioxide to form a carbonated beverage having suppressedfoaming activity.
 10. A carbonated beverage which comprises RebA andwhich does not comprise the following antifoam agents: silicone oils,glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucralose,acesulfame potassium, and non-polymerized catechins, wherein thebeverage is naturally sweetened with the following sweeteners RebA,RebD, RebM, and sucrose; a mass ratio of ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) inthe beverage is 0.45 or more; and foaming is suppressed.
 11. Thecarbonated beverage according to claim 10, comprising 500 ppm or less ofRebA and 486 ppm or less of RebD and/or RebM.
 12. The carbonatedbeverage according to claim 10, comprising caffeine.
 13. The carbonatedbeverage according to claim 10 comprising cinnamaldehyde.
 14. Thecarbonated beverage according to claim 10 comprising caramel coloring.